Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI: not in this decade

There’s no way to argue that Bethesda didn’t have a ton of phenomenal titles to show off at their press conference this year. Between two new Wolfenstein experiences, a ton of Fallout 76 gameplay, and the first (proper, non-Walmart Canada-assisted) reveal of Rage 2, not to mention Doom Eternal, Bethesda hit a ton of high points throughout their press conference.

With Todd Howard on stage to show off Fallout 76 and a bunch of Elder Scrolls spin-off titles, he also took the opportunity to officially reveal two massive titles: Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI.

The internet is abuzz with gamers and critics alike saying that Bethesda’s showcase managed to pull off the unimaginable and really surprised the crowd. Which they did. What they showed was insane and unexpected.

But the problem lines in the fact that the two major teases of the night are so far off in reality, that gamers have no chance of seeing them in this decade. Starfield got a one-minute teaser showing a space station near the edge of a planet, with the light from a sun or star cresting around it, while the 35-second trailer for The Elder Scrolls VI depicted a quick shot over some terrain before throwing up a logo.

As neither game had a cinematic trailer, any mention of gameplay mechanics, or a year emblazoned at the end of their trailer, it is safe to say that that both games are at least two years away, if not longer.

And with Todd Howard proclaiming that The Elder Scrolls VI is the next game after Starfield, it is unlikely we will see anything from his team with any semblance of gameplay footage of the game before 2022.

It also means not to expect Fallout 5 before 2025, just in case you were wondering.